prat(t) (but not Siouan)

[Koontz John E]

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004, Alan H. Hartley wrote:
> Bruce Ingham wrote:
> > Don't forget English skipper.  Presumably Norse from skip
> OED says Middle Dutch or Middle Low German, Amer. Heritage and Random
> House say MDu.

I believe a lot of English nautical terminology is of "recent" Dutch
origin (1500s on?).  This was an area of international borrowing in the
past.  And a surprising number of obscure idioms and words in English turn
out to be nautical in origin, e.g., "in the offing" or "aloof."  (I think
these are both good!)  Alan and I have discussed some of this on the side
briefly in the past out of mutual interest.  Of course, his knowledge of
both shipping and etymology in a professional sense is far ahead of mine,
and he tends to look things up first and speak second, so our exchanges
tends to consist of eager suggestions by me and patient corrections by
him.